Draco knew what he had to do. He had protect her. She was his life. He pulled out some parchment and his quill, ready to say his goodbyes to his first true love.

'Hermione, first off, I'm sorry for what I'm about to write. And if you hate me after reading this, I understand. This is not what I want to do, but I have to. I hate having to do this to you..to myself..to us. When I get back to the manor, my mother is going to erase my memories of you and me. You and me after second year. We can't risk you getting killed. I hate that this has to happen. I have to end things with you. Now. Before things get any worse. My family can't risk the dark lord entering my thoughts and seeing my relationship with you. You're a prime target. If your side wins the war, come find me if I'm not already dead. Find me after the war, whether I be in azkaban or on my own. Track me down and remind me of what we had. Give me back my memories of you and me. But if you have moved on by then, don't look for me. Because if I have to see you with someone else, I'd rather it be when I don't recall our past. If you do ever fall in love with someone else that isn't me, just remember you were in love with me first and I loved you more than there are stars and galaxies combined. You owned my heart… Hopefully, after the war we will be what we once were. I love you Granger. Don't you dare forget that. You are the air I breathe. Before I met you, I was missing a huge piece. You are my missing piece. Thank you for everything. Please don't hate me. I hate myself enough. I can't bear to keep writing this letter Granger. This is goodbye for now. With eternal love, D.M.'

Draco left the letter in the empty space on Hermiones bed. Where he had slept beside her for a majority of the summer. Where he snuck to every night because he couldn't sleep without her by his side. Where they took each other's innocence. He stared down at Hermione, sleeping peacefully. Draco exhaled shakily and bent down, gently placing a kiss on his lovers forehead. He left quietly, yet quickly. He hated himself for what he was doing. His stomach was tied in knots as he left the property and went to the park she took him to. Where he told Hermione how in love with her he really was. Once at the park his sat on a swing, head hung low. He stared at his feet in the mulch chips for a good half hour before he slowly started swinging back and forth, the way hermione had when she first showed him the swing set. He kept swinging back and forth and before he knew it, he was high above the ground. He sighed sadly and stopped the swing. He figured he'd go ahead and summon a house elf to apparate him home. With a crack, Dobby appeared.

"Master Draco! What are you doing all the way here in muggle London?"

"Vacation Dobby. Please take me home."

"Is master draco alright?"

Draco sighed. "I'm fine. Now take me home."

"Very well master!" Dobby grabbed dracos luggage and then dracos hand and apparated them back to the Manor.

Draco and Dobby landed in the hallway outside Dracos bedroom.
"Hey Dobby. Tell mother I'm home and in my room."

"Certainly master!" Dobby replied as he went downstairs to find Narcissa. As the elf left draco carried his bags into his room and sat at the end of his bed. He laid back onto his bed and just stared at the ceiling until he heard a knock at the door.

"Yes?"

"Hey dear. Are you ready?" Narcissa said softly.

"No. But I have to do it anyway right? Let's just get it over with."

"Do you want to keep the memories for your pensieve?"

"Yes please. Just label it France or something so nobody knows exactly what it is."

"Alright. Sit up."
Draco sat up, tears already brimming his eyes. Narcissa wiped away a stray tear from his cheek. "It'll be easier this way. She'll be safe."

Draco swallowed nervously and nodded. "Just do it already." He said exhaling shakily. Narcissa pointed her wand at her sons distraught face.

"Obliviate." She said softly. She watched his eyes glaze over as the memories he shared with hermione were withdrawn from his mind. "How do you feel draco?"

"Fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

Narcissa sighed. "No reason. Go to sleep. You're awake far too early."

"I think I'll just read." Draco said as he got up to scan his bookshelves for a lengthy book. "Have the house elf get me when breakfast is ready."

Narcissa sighed and left the room, realizing from the missing memories, he has become bitter once more. His happiness, now in a vial on his dresser most likely never to be touched again.

Once draco heard his mothers footsteps fade away his opened a drawer on his dresser and pulled out a bottle of fire whisky. He poured a glass and drank it immediately. He didn't know why, but for some reason he felt sad. He poured another glass and drank it. His poured one more, so he could get use to the burning sensation in his throat. He downed the glass and sat in his leather armchair. He glanced around the room, a brooding look on his face. He didn't know why but his felt angry, and sad. His let out a low growl and grabbed his broom, and head to the field behind the manor, hoping flying would help him feel less agitated.

Narcissa watched her son out her bedroom window. She knew he only flew when something was on his mind.

"'Cissa, come back to bed. Quit worrying about the boy. He will be fine." Lucius said from bed. Narcissa sighed and turned around.

"I hate that we had to do this."

"I told you already Narcissa. He is not as skilled in occlumency as we are. The dark lord would see everything."

"What if someone taught him? Like Severus perhaps?"

"I don't see why not. Send him an owl."

"I will once it's a reasonable hour. It's far too early." Narcissa said as she walked back to bed.

"He can't have the memories back until Severus says he is ready. You understand that don't you?"

"Of course I do Lucius. Go back to sleep."

Draco flew about for an hour yet he still felt angry about something. He began flying through the woods, dodging trees and such. He was feeling the effects of the fire whisky and lazily dodged a tree only for his broom to get caught on a random limb and he hurdled to the forest floor. He landed on his back and just stared up at the surrounding trees above him. He began heavily breathing, and then hyperventilating. He stood up and let out a loud yell and threw his arms out. Before he knew it the trees around him were on fire and he began running back to the manor, the fire following him. He stopped at the tree line and caught his breath, trying to calm down. He fell to his knees and curled into a ball. He was having a panic attack. He didn't know why, so he just let it happen and then he blacked out.

Draco woke up a few days later. He opened his eyes to see both his parents staring down at him.

"Draco dear, what happened? Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"For merlins sake 'Cissa. Quit asking him so many questions. He has a concussion."

"Well he set a majority of the woods on fire. He didn't even have his wand with him."

"Are you suggesting he did wand less magic? Fiend fyre? Without a wand? Impossible."
Draco groaned and sat up slowly. "I'm fine. I was just riding my broom, it got caught on a stray limb and I just plummeted to the ground. I just felt so enraged so I threw my arms out and yelled. Next thing I knew everything around me was on fire. So I ran to the tree line, fell to my knees and started having a panic attack. Then I blacked out. Also, father, I require a new broom."

"Very well. We'll get you one during school shopping." Narcissa said reassuringly.

"You know you burned down at least 2 acres of forest right?" Lucius stated.

"Sorry."

"It's okay. You will learn to control it. We'll have Severus help you." Narcissa chimed in.

"Who found me after I blacked out?"

"The house elf."

Draco laid back down, clutching his head. "Fuck my head hurts."

Lucius looked to his wife. "Probably from falling off his broom." Narcissa said softly.

"Or it's possible from performing wand less magic for the first time. It takes a lot of energy out of you."

"Dobby!" Draco exclaimed pathetically. Dobby popped into the room at the foot of dracos bed.

"Yes master draco?"

"Glass of fire whisky please."

Narcissa looked at draco with wide eyes. "Where did you get fire whisky?!"

Draco looked to his father.

"Lucius! Don't let our son self medicate with that wretched stuff! It'll turn him into a zombie."

"Dobby! Fire whisky! Now!"

"Certainly master draco!"

Dobby handed draco a glass of fire whisky. "Does master draco require anything else?"

"Yes. Get my parents out of here and draw me a bath."

"I'm afraid I can only draw you a bath sir."

Draco sighed heavily. "Father, surely you and mother have far more important things to attend to. Leave me."

Narcissa looked to her husband in pure shock. Lucius led her out of the room. "He's feeling quite arrogant lately."

"Because we took away his happy memories. Did Severus get back to you yet?"

"Not yet."

Draco went to his bathroom and slowly took his clothes off. His body ached all over but his headache had eased considerably. He took his shirt off and looked at himself in the mirror. He saw the scarring on his chest and stumbled backward into the wall.

"MOTHERRRR! HELP!"

Narcissa quickly came to Dracos aid.
"What's wrong? Are you okay? What happened?"

"What is this monstrosity on my chest?!"

Narcissa held her breath, not knowing what to say. "It happened to you your second year as punishment."

"That's barbaric! What could I have possibly done?!"

"It's nothing now. Just try and ignore it."

"Ignore it? How the fuck am I supposed to ignore this filth?! I want it removed at once!"

"I can't remove it."

"And why not?"

"I just can't draco. Please calm down."

"Calm down? You're obviously very little help! Get out!"

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, don't you dare raise your voice at me! You will not yell at me in my own house!"

Draco glared at her angrily. "It's fathers house. Why don't you go back to the noble house of black?" He spat at her in disgust.

"That's it. No new broom. Not unless you learn to respect your elders like your father taught you." Narcissa turned on her heel and left. Draco slammed the bathroom door shut and removed the rest of his clothes. He got in the bath and pulled his knees to his chest and began crying.